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It’s September?!

1 Sep

I seem to have lost track of time! Suddenly, September is here, but I am still in August, reminiscing about my recent golf heroics in Bandung. We have an impromptu public holiday today (in the state of Selangor and not the whole country), on top of yesterday’s Merdeka public holiday, resulting in an extended weekend; that’s why I have lost track of time.

Monday was a significant day for us too as it’s our wedding anniversary; I feel like a dinosaur many times over. Typically, every year, we would go away, just the two of us. However, this year, the Bandung golf trip with friends—not just the two of us—counts as our annual going-away anniversary celebration. It was a fun time except for the nasal congestion.

We decided to mark our anniversary with a hearty dinner at Hard Rock Cafe in the city centre, and had a good time listening to the live band. The evening culminated with us driving around the city to enjoy the sights of landmark buildings lit up to mark the Merdeka celebration.

Happy anniversary to us, and a toast to good health, more golf trips, and playing better golf! Cheers.

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Apple, You’re Kidding Me?

4 Mar

New Year, new resolutions, new purchases! In January, I treated myself and bought the new Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) version.

Initially, I was using a hand-me-down first-generation AirPods from M2. After some months of usage and getting used to it, I felt it was time to get my own. The old AirPods were having battery health issues, being five years old already.

And when we were in Bangkok, I found the perfect casing to protect my AirPods. By the way, the ANC worked exceptionally well in blocking out the loud hum of the aircraft engines.

I love my Snoopy case for my AirPods4 ANC version

Recently, I noticed a peculiar issue with my new AirPods. Despite using both pods equally, their battery levels tend to differ significantly. I hardly use the microphone or use only one side. In short, I use the AirPods evenly.

Whenever I place the AirPods back in the casing, the battery level differs, sometimes by 15 to 20 percent! The right side would be lesser than the left. What is going on? I checked online for solutions and followed the suggested measures, but it did not help. So, I scheduled an appointment with Machines, the Apple Premium Reseller in Malaysia, to diagnose the AirPods.

Two different occasions, uneven battery levels

During the diagnosis, the AirPods are okay, with good battery health. But, the feedback was that this battery imbalance is a characteristic of the AirPods. Unbelievable! For such a premium-priced device, it has such an issue despite equal usage. Why Apple why? I feel so let down.

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The Perfect Solution!

20 Sep

Soon after my old iPhone 5S kaput, I contemplated using my current phone as my Spotify music center. The house feels too quiet without music. But having my phone blast music all day may hurt the battery’s health, and my phone is for communication purposes rather than music. So what do I do? How do I resolve this loud quietness?

It occurred to me then that I had another old phone lying around. Would you believe it when I say it’s the iPhone 5C, another dinosaur model? The phone used to be M2’s before she had further upgrades, and I just kept it alive all these years. It still works and is now handy in my current predicament.

I was excited because the iPhone 5C–despite it being such an oldie– would resolve the music void. The setup was with minimal synching because of space issues. After all, the phone has only 8 GB capacity! It’s so minuscule compared to the storage sizes of the newer phone models.

With Spotify added, albeit an older version, the iPhone 5C is now my music center! The thing to ensure the phone does not meet an early death is not to keep it connected while the music is playing. Yay, I’m a happy camper because I found the perfect solution.

A reliable dinosaur, the iPhone 5C

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An Unexpected End

13 Sep

Yesterday was the end of my old Apple iPhone 5S. It ‘died’ the most unfortunate death when the battery expanded unexpectedly. In other words, the battery–which had required service– finally bloated up and caused the phone to become distended. The front panel was separated from the body, rendering the end of my iPhone 5S. Boo hoo hoo.

The end of my old iPhone 5S

I have been using the iPhone 5S as my Spotify music center, playing music all day daily. As a result of this constant use, I achieved thousands of minutes on Spotify annually. Hehehe.

However, the phone could not keep up with the constant usage and needed external power support. And this was the death of it. With power plugged in and music playing non-stop, my iPhone 5S eventually met its untimely demise.

But I shouldn’t be upset, as the phone is ten years old and has served me well for five years before I upgraded to the iPhone XR. Then the phone had a new lease of life to be my music center.

RIP, my iPhone 5S – a much loved and appreciated device, and it’s most unfortunate it met an unexpected end.

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A Clever Hack?

29 Mar

Nowadays, we see people staying connected with their devices all the time, regardless of location. It’s so bad being so attached and dependent on our devices 24/7. If it wasn’t for staying updated with news or social media, it is for games, music, or movies. It is as if a minute of not being connected, one will be so out of touch. Isn’t this terrible?

I confess I am just as guilty, but only at home, with my attachment to my devices. The iPad Mini is mostly for games and movies, and the old iPhone 5S or iPhone XR is for my Spotify music on loop. I leave my iPhone 14Plus for communication and occasional news updates. Separately, I have a Kobo eReader for reading my novels, sparing my eyes from the glare of the iPad.

However, when I travel, I abide by the airline rules and don’t fuss with my devices, keeping them in the bag and turning on the flight mode. After all, the airline does offer some entertainment as an alternative, especially the long hauls. And anything less than a three-hour flight, I have learned and can live without my devices for that few hours being airborne.

On my recent return journey from Hanoi, the passenger in front did not put away his iPhone as he was deeply engrossed in watching the sitcom “Friends.” I couldn’t help but admire his clever hack of using the Air Sickness Bag to feed his sitcom fixation.

The tray table had to be closed, so he used the bag to hold his phone in place to watch hands-free! So clever. But clever as it seems, you won’t catch me doing this for my trips on a flight and leaving the bag intact for its actual usage.

Hand-free using the Air Sickness Bag

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Limping, Not Leaping into 2024, Part 2

5 Jan

This cough is taking its toll on me. I feel so sapped of energy despite resting at home. Could it be listening to music, reading, and being on my iPad for nine hours daily does not count as doing nothing and tiring me out?

I have not played golf for ten days now, and it’s a bit concerning because I have signed up for various golf games next week! I’m unsure if I have the energy to lift my clubs when walking up and down the stairs has been so tiring.

Sigh, a speedy recovery it has not been despite having seen the doctor and being on medication. Maybe I should stay away from the iPad and do nothing. Really. With the mind at rest instead of plotting the next game move or constantly on alert watching and reading, it may be the right thing to do. Hmm. Discipline is essential to less iPad interaction; otherwise, I will continue to limp weakly into the year.

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No Time to Write

10 Mar

I was away earlier this week and hardly had time to pen my thoughts. And when I finally had a moment, I found myself driving back from hubby’s hometown; as such, being at the wheel, how to pen my thoughts?

I kept the iPad in the boot, and for five hours, I did not play any games. Hahaha. The drive back was tiring because there was heavy traffic at several stretches on the Plus highway. But the build-up was of no reason – no accident or even roadworks. Sheesh, slow down for nothing.

Although it was tedious, sipping my green tea and listening to my music helped to collect my thoughts for the next entry. You could call it a good me-time.

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In Memory of…

11 Nov

Today would have been official pet number one’s 12th birthday. Sniffle…

It’s been a month since Rooney’s passing. How time flies! There are days when we get home, I find myself looking out for him expecting a patch of fur lying at the garden terrace when I open the front door. But he’s not there….

We have been keeping busy so that we don’t think too much of the loss. The house has been rather quiet sans the barking or the act of talking to a pet who was literally our third child, our baby. To overcome this, I find myself playing music more often than ever on my iPhone XR. Sometimes I would up the volume on Spotify’s choices for me or simply blast my Music’s playlist so that it’s not so quiet. Sigh…

Happy birthday Roo, you’re in a better place but always in our thoughts and hearts.

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Wave Mom, Wave

11 Jan

When M1 was still around years ago, both girls had the habit of tuning us out with their headphones on especially during exam week. Typically after dinner, both M1 and M2 would be diligently doing their revision at the dining table with their headphones in place.

It was hard enough for me when they’d do the same in the car, headphones in place and I have to wave to get their attention before speaking. It’s the same at home with this habit of theirs to tune me out and I have to wave.

With M1 away at University and only M2 around, she continued to have her headphones plugged in especially during exam week. And she constantly reminded me that I’d have to wave if I want to say something to her. Can I fault her when doing this was for a good cause, studying for the exams?

M2 may be done with school this year, so no more studying at the dining table but she still has her headphones in place these days to watch her videos instead.

The situation may have changed but some things never change and I will surely miss this habit, waving that is, the day she leaves for college.

IMG_6682

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Is It A Sign?

14 Aug

Recently I started playing two new games, Age of Solitaire and Solitaire Cooking Tower by Sticky Hands Inc. I like the first one because it has funky music. Very rare to have nice jazzy pieces from such games. As for the second one, I am into it to see how high I can build my tower; currently I have six floors and my seventh floor is at 33% to completion.

Both games are a refreshing change from my usual candy games. Yes, I am still at them candies. But there is a hitch to my new entertainment.

My iPad.

It has been acting up, being laggy and always quitting mid-way through a round on either games. And it’s not just under-performing with these two apps, sadly even reading the news on Safari is too big a task for my poor iPad. Let’s not even go into the exasperation I have to deal with when it comes to Candy Crush Soda…

It’s like the device can’t cope with the speed of the internet or my deft hands, thus giving up on me at every opportunity. Is this a sign my iPad Mini is nearing its end? After all, it is almost six years old. And any device that can last this long is surely a miracle. My poor iPad.

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